Articles about the Paul Ferrell case from "Final Appeal" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

justins5256 · 12-29-2007, 01:36 PM

I'm not sure if anyone remembers this case. It was the second episode of the very short lived spin-off series "Final Appeal" that debuted in the fall of 1992. Some sleuthing turned up a few articles about the case. I'm not sure if this guy is innocent, but he is a free man as of 2004. It sounds like an interesting case, and I would not mind seeing this episode if anyone can provide a copy.

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EX-DEPUTY FREE ON BAIL

Washington Post
April 25, 1988
Edition: FINAL
From News Services and Staff Reports
Section: METRO
Page: d4
Record Number: 129163

A former Grant County, W.Va., sheriff's deputy accused of kidnaping and murdering a Gorman, Md., woman was released on bond Friday, court officials said.
Paul W. Ferrell was freed after his parents posted $100,000 bond in the form of real estate and cash, said officials in the Grant County prosecutor's office. Ferrell is charged with kidnaping and murdering Catherine Denise Ford, who has been missing since February.

Maryland authorities said Ford's disappearance coincided with telephone calls to other women from a person who said he wanted them to meet him in secret to aid in undercover police work.

A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said Ferrell will remain free on bond awaiting action in July by the Grant County grand jury

Copyright 1988 The Washington Post

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Order shortens slaying sentence Underwood commutes term in Grant case

Charleston Gazette (WV)
February 4, 2001
Lawrence Messina
Page: P6B
Record Number: 100F2ADFEF5A6C83

larrym@wvgazette.com
One of Gov. Cecil Underwood's final acts in office has gone largely unnoticed, amid the clamor over the comp time payments to his staff.

Underwood commuted the sentence of Paul William Ferrell, the rookie Grant County deputy sheriff convicted in 1989 for the slaying of a waitress from nearby Maryland.

Ferrell was 32 when the jury found he abducted Catherine Denise Ford, 19, killed her and then burned her body in her Bronco to hide the evidence.

The judge sentenced Ferrell to life in prison with a chance of parole for the kidnapping, to be followed by a five- to 18-year term for second-degree murder. The judge set a one- to three-year sentence for the arson to run consecutively with the other two terms.

Underwood's Jan. 12 order resets those sentences to run concurrently, thereby making Ferrell eligible for parole this spring.

Ferrell's case grabbed headlines well after his trial, and the commutation cites some of the reasons why.

Underwood's order said Ferrell's convictions "are not supported by the presence of the alleged victim's body, weapon, eyewitnesses, or physical evidence such as fingerprints, hair and fibers."

Ford's body has never been found; the prosecutor presented the burning theory to explain its absence. Ferrell's supporters suggested that the Garret County, Md., woman ran away from home and is still alive.

There were no eyewitnesses. Investigators believe Ferrell killed Ford in or near a trailer he rented in a rural area. Ford's burned-out Bronco was found about 75 yards from the trailer. As Underwood's order indicates, no murder weapon or damning piece of physical evidence was found.

Investigators did have some witnesses. One said she heard a scream and a gunshot from the area of Ferrell's trailer on the night Ford vanished. But this witness, Kimberly Sue Nelson, has since testified on Ferrell's behalf that her statement was coerced. Another prosecution witness, Tamela Kitzmiller, similarly recanted her earlier testimony during a post-trial appeal hearing for Ferrell.

During Ferrell's trial, Grant County prosecutor Dennis DiBenedetto presented more than 70 witnesses and 150 pieces of physical evidence to convince the jury of his guilt.

Witnesses said when she left work at the restaurant her family owned, Ford told her mother she was going to meet an undercover officer working on an alcohol investigation. Another witness said he saw Ford's Bronco turn down the road toward Ferrell's trailer that night (the defense contends police knew that this witness mixed up his dates and did not see the Bronco that night).

DiBenedetto also asked the jury to consider other evidence:

- Ferrell allegedly indulged in a sort of involuntary precursor to phone sex lines. He had a habit of phoning bookstores across the country posing as a doctor, DiBenedetto said, to ask the clerks who answered to read explicit passages from books on sex.

- Before Ford disappeared, area police received reports that several "attractive women" were getting phone calls from a man asking them to meet him somewhere. These women all had at least one thing in common, investigators alleged: They all knew Ferrell.

- After Ford vanished, her family received a letter with a Pittsburgh postmark purportedly from the teen and a "companion." The letter said Ford was "an adult and we had to leave fast," and that they had come into "dangerous money." Investigators believe Ferrell wrote the letter.

DiBenedetto said the evidence showed that Ferrell had woven a "fantasy world" around himself. He targeted Ford as the first woman to make that perverse world a reality, the prosecutor argued.

The state Supreme Court cited the phone call evidence when it upheld his convictions in a 1990 ruling. But then-Justice Thomas Miller blasted that evidence, and the court's ruling, in a dissent to the 3-2 decision.

Ferrell offered an alibi defense during his nine-day trial. He was allegedly seen at the store his family owned in Gormania when Ford disappeared.

Since his trial, his lawyers have repeatedly challenged the convictions. One, Lonnie Simmons of Charleston, secured one of the few items used as evidence in the case for modern genetic testing.

The item was a blanket found in Ferrell's vehicle that allegedly had tiny stains of blood. Though no known genetic sample from Ford exists, a comparison of her parents' DNA to the stains showed they could not have come from their offspring, the defense said.

Simmons' DNA-based appeal convinced the Supreme Court to allow Ferrell's release from prison in 1994 while it reviewed the case. After more than two years on home confinement, the court reaffirmed the convictions and returned Ferrell to prison.

Ferrell's time on home confinement was counted toward his sentences. Underwood's order said he "has proved to be an exemplary inmate ... as reflected by his institutional record and educational achievements" and had no prior criminal record. Ferrell had requested a full or conditional pardon, the order said.

To contact staff writer Lawrence Messina, use e-mail or call 348-4869.

Copyright, 2001, Charleston Newspapers

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Underwood decision draws criticism Ex-governor acted rashly in changing murderer's sentence, officials say

Charleston Gazette (WV)
February 6, 2001
Lawrence Messina
Page: P1A
Record Number: 100F2ADBEAFC816F

larrym@wvgazette.com
Former Gov. Cecil Underwood didn't do his homework before he changed a Grant County man's prison sentence for a 1989 murder, officials in the case said Monday.

"It's a terrible miscarriage. It's terrible for anyone to make that drastic a decision without getting both sides," Grant County prosecutor Dennis DiBenedetto said.

DiBenedetto said no one contacted him, investigators or the family of the murdered Maryland woman before Underwood's last-minute intervention in the case.

But Underwood said he scrutinized the case before he ordered Paul William Ferrell eligible for parole this spring, several years ahead of time. "I go strictly by the record, and the record raised a lot of doubts," Underwood said Monday from his Huntington residence.

Ferrell was 32 and a rookie sheriff's deputy when he abducted Catherine Denise Ford, 19, and killed her in 1988, a jury found. The jury also convicted Ferrell of torching the Maryland waitress' vehicle.

Ford's body has never been found. Ferrell's lawyers have seized on that fact as well as recanted testimony and genetic testing to appeal his case.

Ferrell's was one of five cases Underwood decided Jan. 12, his last day in office. In his order, Underwood wrote that Ferrell's convictions "are not supported by the presence of the alleged victim's body, weapon, eyewitnesses, or physical evidence such as fingerprints, hair and fibers."

"That is absolutely incorrect," said Allen H. Loughry II, the senior assistant attorney general who represented prosecutors during Ferrell's appeals.

Loughry cited how DiBenedetto had presented more than 70 witnesses and 150 pieces of evidence to convince the 1989 jury of Ferrell's guilt.

"Our job is not to affirm convictions. It's to make sure that justice prevails," Loughry said. "When the state makes mistakes, I've pointed out the errors. The facts in this case and the circumstantial evidence were overwhelming."

With his order, Underwood second-guessed the jury as well as the state Supreme Court, a U.S. District Court judge and a federal appeals court panel, all which ruled against Ferrell.

"Gov. Underwood has somehow decided that he is in a better position to make factual determinations," Loughry said. "I think that he has totally circumvented the process. He is setting a precedent for future governors."

But Underwood said he relied on the view of one of the Supreme Court justices who heard Ferrell's appeal.

When he dissented in the case, now-retired Justice Tom Miller blasted much of the evidence presented against Ferrell. Underwood said Miller was one of those who wrote him on Ferrell's behalf.

"I was influenced by the prevailing public opinion in the record, and by the appeal from former Justice Miller," Underwood said.

"I take all those things very seriously."

DiBenedetto said Ferrell's fate is now with the state Parole Board. The board must consider input from him, as well as from Ford's family, and invite them to any hearing for Ferrell.

"I hope they look at the whole set of circumstances," he said.

"I have no reason to doubt that Mr. Ferrell has been a model prisoner, but that doesn't change what he did, and that he needs to suffer the consequences for that."

To contact staff writer Law-rence Messina, use e-mail or call 348-4869.

Copyright, 2001, Charleston Newspapers

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Ex-deputy granted parole in 1980s murder case

Charleston Daily Mail (WV)
May 26, 2004
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Section: News
Page: P6C
Record Number: 2004147562:

A convicted murderer whose life sentence was commuted by a departing Gov. Cecil Underwood has been granted release by the state Parole Board.
Paul William Ferrell continues to deny that he kidnapped and killed Catherine Denise Ford in 1988. The former Grant County deputy sheriff instead cited his clean record in prison.

"He's had an outstanding record in there," defense lawyer Lonnie Simmons said Tuesday.

"I'm very disappointed in the parole board," Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Dennis DiBenedetto said of Monday's decision. "They have put ahead of the life of this victim and the agony of her family the idea that because he's been a good prisoner, he ought to be released."

Ferrell was 32 and a rookie deputy when Ford, a 19-year-old waitress from Maryland, disappeared. Her body was never found; DiBenedetto argued Ferrell burned it along with her Bronco, which was found near his residence.

Ferrell was sentenced to consecutive terms of life with a chance of parole for her kidnapping, five to 18 years for second-degree murder and one to three years for arson.

"The jury did recommend mercy," Simmons said. "They knew he would be parole eligible."

Underwood ordered the sentences combined on the day he left office in January 2001, making Ferrell eligible for parole that spring.

Citing allegations raised by Ferrell's failed appeal and post-conviction court petitions, Underwood found that the charges against him "are not supported by the presence of the alleged victim's body, weapon, eyewitnesses, or physical evidence such as fingerprints, hair and fibers."

DiBenedetto had presented more than 70 witnesses and 150 pieces of evidence during Ferrell's trial to link him to the crimes.

"He ought to have served 20 or 25 years," DiBenedetto said Tuesday. "To let him out in only 15 is really a travesty."

Copyright, 2004, Charleston Newspapers

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Ex-deputy granted parole in 1988 murder conviction

Charleston Gazette (WV)
May 26, 2004
Lawrence Messina The Associated Press
Section: News
Page: P1C
Record Number: 2004147611:

A convicted murderer whose life sentence was commuted by a departing Gov. Cecil Underwood has been granted release by the state Parole Board.
Paul William Ferrell continues to deny that he kidnapped and killed Catherine Denise Ford in 1988. In his parole request, the former Grant County deputy sheriff cited his clean record in prison.

“He’s had an outstanding record in there,” defense lawyer Lonnie Simmons said Tuesday.

“I’m very disappointed in the parole board,” Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Dennis DiBenedetto said of Monday’s decision. “They have put ahead of the life of this victim and the agony of her family the idea that because he’s been a good prisoner, he ought to be released.”

Ferrell was 32 and a rookie deputy when Ford, a 19-year-old waitress from Maryland, disappeared. Her body was never found.

DiBenedetto argued Ferrell burned her body along with her Ford Bronco, which was found near his residence.

Ferrell was sentenced to consecutive terms of life with a chance of parole for her kidnapping, five to 18 years for second-degree murder and one to three years for arson.

“The jury did recommend mercy,” Simmons said. “They knew he would be parole-eligible.”

Underwood ordered the sentences combined on the day he left office in January 2001, making Ferrell eligible for parole that spring.

Citing allegations raised by Ferrell’s failed appeal and post-conviction court petitions, Underwood found that the charges against him “are not supported by the presence of the alleged victim’s body, weapon, eyewitnesses, or physical evidence such as fingerprints, hair and fibers.”

DiBenedetto had presented more than 70 witnesses and 150 pieces of evidence during Ferrell’s trial to link him to the crimes.

“He ought to have served 20 or 25 years,” DiBenedetto said Tuesday. “To let him out in only 15 is really a travesty.”

Copyright, 2004, Charleston Newspapers

kadrmas15 · 12-29-2007, 03:51 PM

Gee Denny, ever think the guy didnt do it? Yet another arrogant prosecutor thinking his case is a "slam-dunk" and "foolproof". I am not saying for 100 percent sure this Paul Ferrell didnt kidnap and murder this woman, but I will say the evidence leans towards that he didnt and he should have never been convicted because there simply was no evidence, at least no real physical evidence, just a bunch of innuendo's and theories presented by an over zealous prosecutor who let the evidence or lack of it fit his theory instead of letting the evidence lead him to a suspect.

plc1271 · 07-26-2009, 04:38 PM

As of 2009 - her body has yet to be found. There is a lot more to this case than the Prosecution is letting on - there is more to the "behind the scenes". I know - my family and I were there.

Eclipse · 07-28-2009, 04:29 PM

Thank you plc! I couldn't agree with you more! There are only certain things that the media released to the public, especially on the television shows. As Justin posted on another thread about Darvin Moon and the World Series of Poker, rumors ran rampid in the two counties. I also kept up with this case being a nearby neighbor. Yes there were rumors, and lots of them, there were also suspects, several of them, which were never investigated. There was alot of drug use and drug sales FACT! Involving Moon and his cousin Inglese. Ferrell was arrested little over a month after Cathy's disappearance...on CIRCUMSTANCIAL EVIDENCE. TV failed to mention that a friend of Cathy's had a hand written letter from Cathy stating that she was afraid that Darvin was going to kill her. The "supposed crime scenes" were never secured. Moon admitted that he had broken into Ferrells trailer. The FBI swept the entire trailer for hair to match the hair they recovered from Cathy's hairbrush... NONE was found. There are so many inconsistancies in this case that it makes me sick. Ferrell to this very day maintains his innocence. He's been charged, convicted, and served his time. He will always be a convicted murderer. Wether he admits to it or not. So what would he have to loose now by telling what really happened? BECAUSE HE DON'T KNOW! As for the phone calls. Being a pervert or having sexual fetishes don't make you a killer. Rape is not even an option... they were dating. Yes he acted strange and did some stupid things after Cathy disappeared, but if your girlfriend was worried about being killed you would have tried to cover up the affair too. I guess all I can say is that some of know more about the people involved in this case more than others. I don't know Paul Ferrell personally and I had never met Cathy, but I do know many of the people involved in this... on both sides.

justins5256 · 07-29-2009, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

Thank you plc! I couldn't agree with you more! There are only certain things that the media released to the public, especially on the television shows.

In any criminal case there are going to be aspects and details not released to the public. That's not really worth debating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

As Justin posted on another thread about Darvin Moon and the World Series of Poker, rumors ran rampid in the two counties. I also kept up with this case being a nearby neighbor. Yes there were rumors, and lots of them, there were also suspects, several of them, which were never investigated. There was alot of drug use and drug sales FACT! Involving Moon and his cousin Inglese.

Drug sales and use are a part of society, unfortunately. Tying them to this case is another matter. You may have the upper hand here as you claim to know people involved, but without some type of source to cite your just telling me this is hearsay and doesn't carry much weight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

Ferrell was arrested little over a month after Cathy's disappearance...on CIRCUMSTANCIAL EVIDENCE.

Yeah, we established that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

TV failed to mention that a friend of Cathy's had a hand written letter from Cathy stating that she was afraid that Darvin was going to kill her. The "supposed crime scenes" were never secured. Moon admitted that he had broken into Ferrells trailer.

More info I was not to privy to. No source again other than what you have probably heard from a friend or some such. Keeping the other evidence against Ferrell in mind, it doesn't really change my opinion, but okay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

The FBI swept the entire trailer for hair to match the hair they recovered from Cathy's hairbrush... NONE was found.

Quoted from Ferrell's appeal:

http://wv.findacase.com/research/wfr...9999.WV.htm/qx

"The police obtained a search warrant, and on 19 March a police search of Mr. Ferrell's mobile home revealed tiny splatters of blood in various places on walls, mirrors, and the ceiling of the bedroom. Blood had also dripped through the crack between two sections of plyboard to a floor joist underneath. Blood was also found on a piece of material in a waste basket. The FBI was able to identify some of the blood as human, and the blood type was not inconsistent with blood of a child of the victim's parents. Also, a cigarette butt of the type smoked by Ms. Ford was found. The cigarette was smoked by someone with a blood type also not inconsistent with Ms. Ford's parents."

"On 25 March 1988, police found a wristwatch of the type given to Ms. Ford by her father, near a small burn area behind Mr. Ferrell's mobile home."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

There are so many inconsistancies in this case that it makes me sick. Ferrell to this very day maintains his innocence. He's been charged, convicted, and served his time. He will always be a convicted murderer. Wether he admits to it or not. So what would he have to loose now by telling what really happened? BECAUSE HE DON'T KNOW!

This is a rather bold assumption on your part. Why does anyone say they are innocent of any crime? Ferrell is the only person who can answer this question, and since I can't step inside his head today (and neither can you), I couldn't tell you. Doesn't automatically make him innocent though. I could make up any answer for your scenario here and none would really be wrong.

- He could be a sociopath and not care about anyone but himself.
- He could be a pathological liar.
- He could have been living the lie for so many years now that he no longer knows the truth.
- He has been lying about his innocence for so long and rallied so much support from family, friends, his attorneys and others that he would look like a massive tool if he up and came clean today.

Who knows?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

As for the phone calls. Being a pervert or having sexual fetishes don't make you a killer.

I called the guy a pervert but I didn't imply that made him guilty of anything. I don't think anyone else said that either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

Rape is not even an option... they were dating. Yes he acted strange and did some stupid things after Cathy disappeared, but if your girlfriend was worried about being killed you would have tried to cover up the affair too.

Let's see...

so I discover said dead girlfriend's burned out car on my property. I say nothing to anyone about the discovery. I am afriad to look inside the car even though I know it belongs to someone I love who is missing. I then try to convince my other living girlfriend to call dead girlfriend's parents and pretend to be dead girlfriend so they will think she is okay. When that fails, I go to another state, write a letter from companion of dead girlfriend claiming she is okay. Withdraw $200 from my bank account and enclose that with the letter. When the cops ask me later if I wrote the letter, I will deny it. Then I'll recant once presented with expert testimony to the contrary. I will call people who are searching for my my dead girlfriend and ask them not to search. When they tell me they have already started searching I will tell them okay, but don't look on my property where the vehicle is located.

Yes, that all makes perfect sense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

I guess all I can say is that some of know more about the people involved in this case more than others. I don't know Paul Ferrell personally and I had never met Cathy, but I do know many of the people involved in this... on both sides.

You've got the edge of knowing people involved in the case which is interesting because it provides another viewpoint. I only have the court documents to go by. Neither view is the actual truth, so we work with what we have. Given the facts presented by the court I find it pretty darn hard to believe there was some massive conspiracy to frame this guy. Stranger things have happened I suppose, but I don't buy it. The Ferrell case is circumstantial, but taken as a whole the prosecution's theory makes a lot of sense. It made sense to a jury too.

Eclipse · 07-29-2009, 10:55 PM

Justin, I can see why you don't get that Ferrell could be innocent. After the trial, a private investigator conducted a 6 month investigation into this case. He interviewed over a thousand people in 19 states plus DC. It was published in an article called "The Public Eye" I'm not saying Ferrell is an angel, he did some really stupid things.. again, he was terrified of the people he was dealing with. Melvin Cullers... should have been a suspect, he previously had murdered a man in a shooting death under suspicious circumstances in 1986 but was aquitted. Although people still had doubts. Usually when a female is murdered or comes up missing, the first suspect is almost always the husband or boyfriend. Not the case here. Bennett Gershman, the author of the standard legal reference on prosecutorial misconduct, said the Ferrell case ranks as one of the most flagrant examples of such abuse of office he has ever seen. There is too much to even discuss here.
http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us...Disclaimer.jis
That's the link to the Maryland District Court Case Search. Type in the name Darvin Moon, you'll see harrassment charges filed against him, along with a protective order on another female. You'll also see him listed as a bail bondsmen for his family, the Inglese's. Type in the name Michael Inglese, you'll find charges and convictions of posession of CDS, of several types with intent to distribute, among lots of other charges...Owners of the local bar that was mentioned, that the drug ring was "allegedly" operated from. So the hearsay theory for that one as far as I'm concerned is shot in the a**. There are alot of facts to what people in that area say, you just need to know where to find them. The area is a place where everybody knows everybody and knows just about everything about one another. Ask yourself this question. If the supposed murder, kidnapping, rape, beating and all else Ferrell was charged with happened in Grant County WV, why did Garrett County Maryland take the lead in the investigation. She lived in Garrett County but if the crime happened in another state, it should have been the other state that led that investigation. I'm telling you, it's a big mess. The entire series of events that took place is a big mess! The letter referenced about Cathy being afraid of Darvin was written to a friend and dated October 14, 1987. Obviously this letter exists or it would not have been able to be quoted. There's just too, too much. It's crazy.

cocytus · 11-17-2010, 07:56 PM

There are three things that convicted this idiot:

1) Writing that insanely stupid letter to her parents
2) Lying to the FBI and the police when he was confronted about his deceit.
3) Not engaging a lawyer the MINUTE he found her burned vehicle on his property.

I know that the police can railroad a suspect and that in most cases you need a body to prove that there was a murder. But this ding dong did everything wrong in this case and it was reasonable to believe that he committed the crime.

Until they find her body (if they ever do) we'll never know what really happened to her.

wvmessenger · 11-09-2011, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse

Thank you plc! I couldn't agree with you more! There are only certain things that the media released to the public, especially on the television shows. As Justin posted on another thread about Darvin Moon and the World Series of Poker, rumors ran rampid in the two counties. I also kept up with this case being a nearby neighbor. Yes there were rumors, and lots of them, there were also suspects, several of them, which were never investigated. There was alot of drug use and drug sales FACT! Involving Moon and his cousin Inglese. Ferrell was arrested little over a month after Cathy's disappearance...on CIRCUMSTANCIAL EVIDENCE. TV failed to mention that a friend of Cathy's had a hand written letter from Cathy stating that she was afraid that Darvin was going to kill her. The "supposed crime scenes" were never secured. Moon admitted that he had broken into Ferrells trailer. The FBI swept the entire trailer for hair to match the hair they recovered from Cathy's hairbrush... NONE was found. There are so many inconsistancies in this case that it makes me sick. Ferrell to this very day maintains his innocence. He's been charged, convicted, and served his time. He will always be a convicted murderer. Wether he admits to it or not. So what would he have to loose now by telling what really happened? BECAUSE HE DON'T KNOW! As for the phone calls. Being a pervert or having sexual fetishes don't make you a killer. Rape is not even an option... they were dating. Yes he acted strange and did some stupid things after Cathy disappeared, but if your girlfriend was worried about being killed you would have tried to cover up the affair too. I guess all I can say is that some of know more about the people involved in this case more than others. I don't know Paul Ferrell personally and I had never met Cathy, but I do know many of the people involved in this... on both sides.

I totally agree. Grant County has been known for it's crooked ways from those in power. There's ALOT of cover ups and when a resident(s)/or cop figure it out and brings it to light, they (in power) go all out of their way (ie, newspapers articles, social events, set ups, etc) to discredit the "whistle blowers".

I don't know Paul, but from what i've read and heard, it was a pure circumstancial case he was convicted of and the reason why he was pinpointed was because as a "rookie" cop he uncovered a "network" within the county and it's government that was involved in secret business.

For years, it's been that way. And I guarantee if you go digging for information, all eyes and ears will be upon you.

And I would like to note-Denny couldn't win a murder case with a body and all kinds of evidence in May/June 2011, but how weird he got one for Paul's case with no body and circumstancial evidence.

TheCars1986 · 11-09-2011, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justins5256

Let's see...

so I discover said dead girlfriend's burned out car on my property. I say nothing to anyone about the discovery. I am afriad to look inside the car even though I know it belongs to someone I love who is missing. I then try to convince my other living girlfriend to call dead girlfriend's parents and pretend to be dead girlfriend so they will think she is okay. When that fails, I go to another state, write a letter from companion of dead girlfriend claiming she is okay. Withdraw $200 from my bank account and enclose that with the letter. When the cops ask me later if I wrote the letter, I will deny it. Then I'll recant once presented with expert testimony to the contrary. I will call people who are searching for my my dead girlfriend and ask them not to search. When they tell me they have already started searching I will tell them okay, but don't look on my property where the vehicle is located.

Yes, that all makes perfect sense.

You pretty much summed up the exact reason why I think he was guilty right here. Not to mention he had a lame excuse for the blood found in his home, claiming it was from a "cut". It's a wonder UM even profiled this idiot.

justins5256 · 11-09-2011, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

You pretty much summed up the exact reason why I think he was guilty right here. Not to mention he had a lame excuse for the blood found in his home, claiming it was from a "cut". It's a wonder UM even profiled this idiot.

Actually, I thought the excuse was the trailer had previous tenants who may have cut themselves. Lame excuse any way you slice it.

I think Wiseguy said it best on another thread. If Ferrell is innocent, I'll eat my shoes.

12-29-2007, 01:36 PM	#1
justins5256 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 08, 2002 Posts: 3,866	Articles about the Paul Ferrell case from "Final Appeal" I'm not sure if anyone remembers this case. It was the second episode of the very short lived spin-off series "Final Appeal" that debuted in the fall of 1992. Some sleuthing turned up a few articles about the case. I'm not sure if this guy is innocent, but he is a free man as of 2004. It sounds like an interesting case, and I would not mind seeing this episode if anyone can provide a copy. ================================================== EX-DEPUTY FREE ON BAIL Washington Post April 25, 1988 Edition: FINAL From News Services and Staff Reports Section: METRO Page: d4 Record Number: 129163 A former Grant County, W.Va., sheriff's deputy accused of kidnaping and murdering a Gorman, Md., woman was released on bond Friday, court officials said. Paul W. Ferrell was freed after his parents posted $100,000 bond in the form of real estate and cash, said officials in the Grant County prosecutor's office. Ferrell is charged with kidnaping and murdering Catherine Denise Ford, who has been missing since February. Maryland authorities said Ford's disappearance coincided with telephone calls to other women from a person who said he wanted them to meet him in secret to aid in undercover police work. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said Ferrell will remain free on bond awaiting action in July by the Grant County grand jury Copyright 1988 The Washington Post ================================================== Order shortens slaying sentence Underwood commutes term in Grant case Charleston Gazette (WV) February 4, 2001 Lawrence Messina Page: P6B Record Number: 100F2ADFEF5A6C83 larrym@wvgazette.com One of Gov. Cecil Underwood's final acts in office has gone largely unnoticed, amid the clamor over the comp time payments to his staff. Underwood commuted the sentence of Paul William Ferrell, the rookie Grant County deputy sheriff convicted in 1989 for the slaying of a waitress from nearby Maryland. Ferrell was 32 when the jury found he abducted Catherine Denise Ford, 19, killed her and then burned her body in her Bronco to hide the evidence. The judge sentenced Ferrell to life in prison with a chance of parole for the kidnapping, to be followed by a five- to 18-year term for second-degree murder. The judge set a one- to three-year sentence for the arson to run consecutively with the other two terms. Underwood's Jan. 12 order resets those sentences to run concurrently, thereby making Ferrell eligible for parole this spring. Ferrell's case grabbed headlines well after his trial, and the commutation cites some of the reasons why. Underwood's order said Ferrell's convictions "are not supported by the presence of the alleged victim's body, weapon, eyewitnesses, or physical evidence such as fingerprints, hair and fibers." Ford's body has never been found; the prosecutor presented the burning theory to explain its absence. Ferrell's supporters suggested that the Garret County, Md., woman ran away from home and is still alive. There were no eyewitnesses. Investigators believe Ferrell killed Ford in or near a trailer he rented in a rural area. Ford's burned-out Bronco was found about 75 yards from the trailer. As Underwood's order indicates, no murder weapon or damning piece of physical evidence was found. Investigators did have some witnesses. One said she heard a scream and a gunshot from the area of Ferrell's trailer on the night Ford vanished. But this witness, Kimberly Sue Nelson, has since testified on Ferrell's behalf that her statement was coerced. Another prosecution witness, Tamela Kitzmiller, similarly recanted her earlier testimony during a post-trial appeal hearing for Ferrell. During Ferrell's trial, Grant County prosecutor Dennis DiBenedetto presented more than 70 witnesses and 150 pieces of physical evidence to convince the jury of his guilt. Witnesses said when she left work at the restaurant her family owned, Ford told her mother she was going to meet an undercover officer working on an alcohol investigation. Another witness said he saw Ford's Bronco turn down the road toward Ferrell's trailer that night (the defense contends police knew that this witness mixed up his dates and did not see the Bronco that night). DiBenedetto also asked the jury to consider other evidence: - Ferrell allegedly indulged in a sort of involuntary precursor to phone sex lines. He had a habit of phoning bookstores across the country posing as a doctor, DiBenedetto said, to ask the clerks who answered to read explicit passages from books on sex. - Before Ford disappeared, area police received reports that several "attractive women" were getting phone calls from a man asking them to meet him somewhere. These women all had at least one thing in common, investigators alleged: They all knew Ferrell. - After Ford vanished, her family received a letter with a Pittsburgh postmark purportedly from the teen and a "companion." The letter said Ford was "an adult and we had to leave fast," and that they had come into "dangerous money." Investigators believe Ferrell wrote the letter. DiBenedetto said the evidence showed that Ferrell had woven a "fantasy world" around himself. He targeted Ford as the first woman to make that perverse world a reality, the prosecutor argued. The state Supreme Court cited the phone call evidence when it upheld his convictions in a 1990 ruling. But then-Justice Thomas Miller blasted that evidence, and the court's ruling, in a dissent to the 3-2 decision. Ferrell offered an alibi defense during his nine-day trial. He was allegedly seen at the store his family owned in Gormania when Ford disappeared. Since his trial, his lawyers have repeatedly challenged the convictions. One, Lonnie Simmons of Charleston, secured one of the few items used as evidence in the case for modern genetic testing. The item was a blanket found in Ferrell's vehicle that allegedly had tiny stains of blood. Though no known genetic sample from Ford exists, a comparison of her parents' DNA to the stains showed they could not have come from their offspring, the defense said. Simmons' DNA-based appeal convinced the Supreme Court to allow Ferrell's release from prison in 1994 while it reviewed the case. After more than two years on home confinement, the court reaffirmed the convictions and returned Ferrell to prison. Ferrell's time on home confinement was counted toward his sentences. Underwood's order said he "has proved to be an exemplary inmate ... as reflected by his institutional record and educational achievements" and had no prior criminal record. Ferrell had requested a full or conditional pardon, the order said. To contact staff writer Lawrence Messina, use e-mail or call 348-4869. Copyright, 2001, Charleston Newspapers ================================================== Underwood decision draws criticism Ex-governor acted rashly in changing murderer's sentence, officials say Charleston Gazette (WV) February 6, 2001 Lawrence Messina Page: P1A Record Number: 100F2ADBEAFC816F larrym@wvgazette.com Former Gov. Cecil Underwood didn't do his homework before he changed a Grant County man's prison sentence for a 1989 murder, officials in the case said Monday. "It's a terrible miscarriage. It's terrible for anyone to make that drastic a decision without getting both sides," Grant County prosecutor Dennis DiBenedetto said. DiBenedetto said no one contacted him, investigators or the family of the murdered Maryland woman before Underwood's last-minute intervention in the case. But Underwood said he scrutinized the case before he ordered Paul William Ferrell eligible for parole this spring, several years ahead of time. "I go strictly by the record, and the record raised a lot of doubts," Underwood said Monday from his Huntington residence. Ferrell was 32 and a rookie sheriff's deputy when he abducted Catherine Denise Ford, 19, and killed her in 1988, a jury found. The jury also convicted Ferrell of torching the Maryland waitress' vehicle. Ford's body has never been found. Ferrell's lawyers have seized on that fact as well as recanted testimony and genetic testing to appeal his case. Ferrell's was one of five cases Underwood decided Jan. 12, his last day in office. In his order, Underwood wrote that Ferrell's convictions "are not supported by the presence of the alleged victim's body, weapon, eyewitnesses, or physical evidence such as fingerprints, hair and fibers." "That is absolutely incorrect," said Allen H. Loughry II, the senior assistant attorney general who represented prosecutors during Ferrell's appeals. Loughry cited how DiBenedetto had presented more than 70 witnesses and 150 pieces of evidence to convince the 1989 jury of Ferrell's guilt. "Our job is not to affirm convictions. It's to make sure that justice prevails," Loughry said. "When the state makes mistakes, I've pointed out the errors. The facts in this case and the circumstantial evidence were overwhelming." With his order, Underwood second-guessed the jury as well as the state Supreme Court, a U.S. District Court judge and a federal appeals court panel, all which ruled against Ferrell. "Gov. Underwood has somehow decided that he is in a better position to make factual determinations," Loughry said. "I think that he has totally circumvented the process. He is setting a precedent for future governors." But Underwood said he relied on the view of one of the Supreme Court justices who heard Ferrell's appeal. When he dissented in the case, now-retired Justice Tom Miller blasted much of the evidence presented against Ferrell. Underwood said Miller was one of those who wrote him on Ferrell's behalf. "I was influenced by the prevailing public opinion in the record, and by the appeal from former Justice Miller," Underwood said. "I take all those things very seriously." DiBenedetto said Ferrell's fate is now with the state Parole Board. The board must consider input from him, as well as from Ford's family, and invite them to any hearing for Ferrell. "I hope they look at the whole set of circumstances," he said. "I have no reason to doubt that Mr. Ferrell has been a model prisoner, but that doesn't change what he did, and that he needs to suffer the consequences for that." To contact staff writer Law-rence Messina, use e-mail or call 348-4869. Copyright, 2001, Charleston Newspapers ================================================== Ex-deputy granted parole in 1980s murder case Charleston Daily Mail (WV) May 26, 2004 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Section: News Page: P6C Record Number: 2004147562: A convicted murderer whose life sentence was commuted by a departing Gov. Cecil Underwood has been granted release by the state Parole Board. Paul William Ferrell continues to deny that he kidnapped and killed Catherine Denise Ford in 1988. The former Grant County deputy sheriff instead cited his clean record in prison. "He's had an outstanding record in there," defense lawyer Lonnie Simmons said Tuesday. "I'm very disappointed in the parole board," Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Dennis DiBenedetto said of Monday's decision. "They have put ahead of the life of this victim and the agony of her family the idea that because he's been a good prisoner, he ought to be released." Ferrell was 32 and a rookie deputy when Ford, a 19-year-old waitress from Maryland, disappeared. Her body was never found; DiBenedetto argued Ferrell burned it along with her Bronco, which was found near his residence. Ferrell was sentenced to consecutive terms of life with a chance of parole for her kidnapping, five to 18 years for second-degree murder and one to three years for arson. "The jury did recommend mercy," Simmons said. "They knew he would be parole eligible." Underwood ordered the sentences combined on the day he left office in January 2001, making Ferrell eligible for parole that spring. Citing allegations raised by Ferrell's failed appeal and post-conviction court petitions, Underwood found that the charges against him "are not supported by the presence of the alleged victim's body, weapon, eyewitnesses, or physical evidence such as fingerprints, hair and fibers." DiBenedetto had presented more than 70 witnesses and 150 pieces of evidence during Ferrell's trial to link him to the crimes. "He ought to have served 20 or 25 years," DiBenedetto said Tuesday. "To let him out in only 15 is really a travesty." Copyright, 2004, Charleston Newspapers ================================================== Ex-deputy granted parole in 1988 murder conviction Charleston Gazette (WV) May 26, 2004 Lawrence Messina The Associated Press Section: News Page: P1C Record Number: 2004147611: A convicted murderer whose life sentence was commuted by a departing Gov. Cecil Underwood has been granted release by the state Parole Board. Paul William Ferrell continues to deny that he kidnapped and killed Catherine Denise Ford in 1988. In his parole request, the former Grant County deputy sheriff cited his clean record in prison. “He’s had an outstanding record in there,” defense lawyer Lonnie Simmons said Tuesday. “I’m very disappointed in the parole board,” Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Dennis DiBenedetto said of Monday’s decision. “They have put ahead of the life of this victim and the agony of her family the idea that because he’s been a good prisoner, he ought to be released.” Ferrell was 32 and a rookie deputy when Ford, a 19-year-old waitress from Maryland, disappeared. Her body was never found. DiBenedetto argued Ferrell burned her body along with her Ford Bronco, which was found near his residence. Ferrell was sentenced to consecutive terms of life with a chance of parole for her kidnapping, five to 18 years for second-degree murder and one to three years for arson. “The jury did recommend mercy,” Simmons said. “They knew he would be parole-eligible.” Underwood ordered the sentences combined on the day he left office in January 2001, making Ferrell eligible for parole that spring. Citing allegations raised by Ferrell’s failed appeal and post-conviction court petitions, Underwood found that the charges against him “are not supported by the presence of the alleged victim’s body, weapon, eyewitnesses, or physical evidence such as fingerprints, hair and fibers.” DiBenedetto had presented more than 70 witnesses and 150 pieces of evidence during Ferrell’s trial to link him to the crimes. “He ought to have served 20 or 25 years,” DiBenedetto said Tuesday. “To let him out in only 15 is really a travesty.” Copyright, 2004, Charleston Newspapers

12-29-2007, 03:51 PM	#2
kadrmas15 Retired from Board 03/03/11 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,910	Gee Denny, ever think the guy didnt do it? Yet another arrogant prosecutor thinking his case is a "slam-dunk" and "foolproof". I am not saying for 100 percent sure this Paul Ferrell didnt kidnap and murder this woman, but I will say the evidence leans towards that he didnt and he should have never been convicted because there simply was no evidence, at least no real physical evidence, just a bunch of innuendo's and theories presented by an over zealous prosecutor who let the evidence or lack of it fit his theory instead of letting the evidence lead him to a suspect.

07-26-2009, 04:38 PM	#3
plc1271 Member First Time Poster Join Date: Jul 26, 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1	As of 2009 - her body has yet to be found. There is a lot more to this case than the Prosecution is letting on - there is more to the "behind the scenes". I know - my family and I were there.

07-28-2009, 04:29 PM	#4
Eclipse Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 27, 2009 Location: Clarksburg, Wv Posts: 5	Thank you plc! I couldn't agree with you more! There are only certain things that the media released to the public, especially on the television shows. As Justin posted on another thread about Darvin Moon and the World Series of Poker, rumors ran rampid in the two counties. I also kept up with this case being a nearby neighbor. Yes there were rumors, and lots of them, there were also suspects, several of them, which were never investigated. There was alot of drug use and drug sales FACT! Involving Moon and his cousin Inglese. Ferrell was arrested little over a month after Cathy's disappearance...on CIRCUMSTANCIAL EVIDENCE. TV failed to mention that a friend of Cathy's had a hand written letter from Cathy stating that she was afraid that Darvin was going to kill her. The "supposed crime scenes" were never secured. Moon admitted that he had broken into Ferrells trailer. The FBI swept the entire trailer for hair to match the hair they recovered from Cathy's hairbrush... NONE was found. There are so many inconsistancies in this case that it makes me sick. Ferrell to this very day maintains his innocence. He's been charged, convicted, and served his time. He will always be a convicted murderer. Wether he admits to it or not. So what would he have to loose now by telling what really happened? BECAUSE HE DON'T KNOW! As for the phone calls. Being a pervert or having sexual fetishes don't make you a killer. Rape is not even an option... they were dating. Yes he acted strange and did some stupid things after Cathy disappeared, but if your girlfriend was worried about being killed you would have tried to cover up the affair too. I guess all I can say is that some of know more about the people involved in this case more than others. I don't know Paul Ferrell personally and I had never met Cathy, but I do know many of the people involved in this... on both sides.

07-29-2009, 10:55 PM	#6
Eclipse Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 27, 2009 Location: Clarksburg, Wv Posts: 5	Justin, I can see why you don't get that Ferrell could be innocent. After the trial, a private investigator conducted a 6 month investigation into this case. He interviewed over a thousand people in 19 states plus DC. It was published in an article called "The Public Eye" I'm not saying Ferrell is an angel, he did some really stupid things.. again, he was terrified of the people he was dealing with. Melvin Cullers... should have been a suspect, he previously had murdered a man in a shooting death under suspicious circumstances in 1986 but was aquitted. Although people still had doubts. Usually when a female is murdered or comes up missing, the first suspect is almost always the husband or boyfriend. Not the case here. Bennett Gershman, the author of the standard legal reference on prosecutorial misconduct, said the Ferrell case ranks as one of the most flagrant examples of such abuse of office he has ever seen. There is too much to even discuss here. http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us...Disclaimer.jis That's the link to the Maryland District Court Case Search. Type in the name Darvin Moon, you'll see harrassment charges filed against him, along with a protective order on another female. You'll also see him listed as a bail bondsmen for his family, the Inglese's. Type in the name Michael Inglese, you'll find charges and convictions of posession of CDS, of several types with intent to distribute, among lots of other charges...Owners of the local bar that was mentioned, that the drug ring was "allegedly" operated from. So the hearsay theory for that one as far as I'm concerned is shot in the a**. There are alot of facts to what people in that area say, you just need to know where to find them. The area is a place where everybody knows everybody and knows just about everything about one another. Ask yourself this question. If the supposed murder, kidnapping, rape, beating and all else Ferrell was charged with happened in Grant County WV, why did Garrett County Maryland take the lead in the investigation. She lived in Garrett County but if the crime happened in another state, it should have been the other state that led that investigation. I'm telling you, it's a big mess. The entire series of events that took place is a big mess! The letter referenced about Cathy being afraid of Darvin was written to a friend and dated October 14, 1987. Obviously this letter exists or it would not have been able to be quoted. There's just too, too much. It's crazy.

11-17-2010, 07:56 PM	#7
cocytus Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 15, 2010 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 781	There are three things that convicted this idiot: 1) Writing that insanely stupid letter to her parents 2) Lying to the FBI and the police when he was confronted about his deceit. 3) Not engaging a lawyer the MINUTE he found her burned vehicle on his property. I know that the police can railroad a suspect and that in most cases you need a body to prove that there was a murder. But this ding dong did everything wrong in this case and it was reasonable to believe that he committed the crime. Until they find her body (if they ever do) we'll never know what really happened to her.